Gone Fission: Fishing Hooks Explained and Where to Find Them

Duchess Flame
Jun 3
5 min read

Updated: Jul 2

Image Credit:

With Thanks to Garust and SugarBombs.RADS

Fishing Hooks

The Fishing Hook Mods have a 20% chance to drop from the Pip-Boy Daily Quest "Big Fish in a Small Pond."

To apply the Fishing Hooks, go to the Tinker’s Workbench and select “Modify.” This will open a mod screen similar to the one at the weapons and armor bench, allowing you to modify your fishing rod.

Standard Hook

Learnt by default

Plan: Attractive Hook

4% Drop Rate
Tradeable
Stops dropping once learnt

Description:

When you cast your line, the game randomly decides how many times the bobber will briefly dip underwater before a fish bites—these are called “bobs.” Normally, this number can be anywhere from 2 to 6. The Attractive Hook lowers the maximum from 6 to 5, meaning the fish will bite a little sooner on average.
After you hook a fish, it can still escape if you don’t reel it in quickly enough. Each time the bobber dips underwater during the first part of the minigame, is a chance to press the button and start to reel the fish in. This mod adds +1 extra dip (bob) during that window, giving you more chances to react before the fish gets away.
Especially helpful if you have slower reflexes or are dealing with lag, as it makes the bite come quicker and gives you more time to secure the catch.

Conditions:

You do not already have the plan in your inventory
You have not already learned the plan
This plan will stop dropping once it has been learned

Plan: Improved Bearing

4% Drop Rate
Tradeable
Stops dropping once learnt

Description:

Increases reel-in speed by 25%. After you’ve successfully hooked a fish, this determines how quickly the fish moves toward the center of the catch zone during the minigame.
A faster reel-in speed makes it easier to secure the catch, especially for harder or more active fish that move around a lot during the catch window.

Conditions:

You do not already have the plan in your inventory
You have not already learned the plan
This plan will stop dropping once it has been learned

Plan: Advanced Drag

4% Drop Rate
Tradeable
Stops dropping once learnt

Description:

Reduces fish escape speed by 25% when applied to a fishing rod, helping you keep fish on the line longer.
This hook made it easier for me to catch Axolotls.

Conditions:

You do not already have the plan in your inventory
You have not already learned the plan
This plan will stop dropping once it has been learned

Plan: Stabilized Gear Ratio

4% Drop Rate
Tradeable
Stops dropping once learnt

Description:

Adds +25% reel rotation speed to the fishing rod when this upgrade is applied.
Reduces reel size by 25%, making your catch window smaller and requiring more precision.

Conditions:

You do not already have the plan in your inventory
You have not already learned the plan
This plan will stop dropping once it has been learned

Plan: Steady Handle

4% Drop Rate
Tradeable
Stops dropping once learnt

Description:

Reduces reel rotation speed by 25%, making reeling slower but more controlled.
Increases reel size by 25%, giving you a larger target area to catch fish.

Conditions:

You do not already have the plan in your inventory
You have not already learned the plan
This plan will stop dropping once it has been learned

Note from Duchess

When you're just starting out with fishing, use the Steady Handle. It’s great for catching common fish and helps you get used to the mechanics—it’s much more forgiving. Once you're comfortable, switch to one of the other hooks that suit your hand-eye coordination and play style.

Fishing Terms Explained

Time to Hook

Also known as: Bite Delay, Bobs, and Max Bobs

• What it is:

When you cast your line, the game rolls a random number between a minimum and maximum to determine how many times the bobber will dip underwater before a fish is ready to bite. These dips are called "bobs", and they look like small, brief movements where the bobber twitches or partially submerges.

• What it does:

The number of bobs rolled (typically between 2 and 6) is just the setup. After the rolled number has occurred, the very next bob is the strike—this is when the bobber fully submerges, and you must press the interact button to start the minigame and attempt to land the fish.

• Why it matters:

Reducing the maximum number of bobs makes the fish bite sooner on average, which speeds up the process.
Increasing your total allowed bobs during the catch phase gives you more chances to press the button and secure the fish before it escapes.
Fewer bobs = less reaction time.
More bobs = safer for laggy connections or slower reflexes.

• Best Gear:

Attractive Hook and Grilled Fish
Together, they reduce the bite delay (from 2–6 bobs down to 2–4) and increase your total reaction time during the minigame by +2 bobs.

• Worst:

N/A

Line Strength

Also known as: Fish Escape Speed

What it is:

How quickly the fish tries to get away during the minigame.

What it does:

Higher escape speed = less time to finish the catches

Lower escape speed = more time to succeed

Why it matters:

Reduces pressure. Critical for slow reflexes or when fishing tough species.

Best Gear:

Advanced Drag Hook + Mark 4 Reel

Worst Gear:

N/A

Alternative:

Mark 2 Reel or Mark 3 Reel

Reel In Speed

Also known as: Catch Speed

What it is:

How quickly the fish is reeled in once the minigame starts.

What it does:

Higher catch speed = fewer successful hits needed to land the fish.

Lower catch speed = longer minigame, more chances to fail.

Why it matters:

Speeds up fishing and reduces the risk of failure. Great for farming or tough fish.

Best Gear:

Improved Bearing Hook

Worst Gear:

N/A

Catch Zone

Also known as: Reel Size

What it is:

The size of the “catch zone” on the fishing wheel (the colored area).

What it does:

Bigger zone = easier to land hits

Smaller zone = harder to land hits

Why it matters:

Affects how hard it is to complete the minigame.

Best Gear (larger size):

Steady Handle

Worst Gear (smaller size):

Stabilized Gear Ratio

Rotation Speed

Also known as: Reel Rotation Speed, Reel Speed

What it is:

How fast the catch zone spins around the circle during the minigame.

What it does:

Faster = harder to time button presses

Slower = more forgiving timing

Why it matters:

Controls the difficulty of each hit.

Too fast = easy to miss.

Best Gear (slow):

Steady Handle

Worst Gear (fast):

Stabilized Gear Ratio + Mark 4 Reel

Alternative:

Mark 2 or Mark 3 Reel

Hey there, I'm Kat, also known as Duchess!

I'm an Aussie data miner who creates guides for farming, events, and food buffs in Fallout 76.

I firmly believe that knowledge should be accessible to everyone, so my guides will always be free. However, maintaining a website and using photo and video editing software can be costly.

If you find my guides useful, here are a few ways you can support me:

- Share My Guides: Help your fellow vault dwellers by sharing my guides.

- Follow Me on Social Media: Keep up with my latest updates by following me on social media.

- One-Time Donation: Buy me a coffee.

- Monthly Contribution: Become a regular supporter by subscribing to my Ko-fi page.

Every bit of support helps cover the costs of creating these guides and maybe even gets me a cup of coffee or three ;)

Thanks for your support!